TIME Spongebob Squarepants
TIME SpongeBob SquarePants
The Radical Optimist • Since his debut in 1999, the sunny-yellow and decidedly square character SpongeBob has modeled positivity, perseverance, and resilience.
The Bikini Bottomers • Friends, neighbors, and frenemies in the paradise under the sea.
1 ARE YOU READY, KIDS? • Before he was SpongeBob, he was Sponge Boy, and before that, just plain Bob. The inside story of how a gap-toothed optimist sprung from the brain of a marine biologist into the world’s welcoming heart.
In the Beginning • The birth and journey of SpongeBob and his crew of marine misfits.
“Why Am I Saying ‘Who’s Ready?’ Three Times?” • The cast members tell all: A short oral history of SpongeBob SquarePants.
SpongeBob: The Brainiac • The boy sponge is famous for his tighty-whities and ocean puns, but he’s also the master of some sly, highbrow humor.
Location, Location, Location, • The backstory to Bikini Bottom’s houses, restaurants, and favorite hangouts.
2 BOY STORY • How an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants gets made, from storyboard to the small screen. Plus: the actors behind the characters and the best episodes ever.
How It All Comes Together • From a virtual writers’ room to storyboards to sound engineers to animators in Korea, SpongeBob SquarePants is all moving parts and magic.
The Best Episodes Ever? Let’s Debate. • Ranking greatness is tough, but why not try. Here are our favorites. Feel free to agree or disagree.
The Disappeared • When Paramount+ launched in 2021, it offered the whole of the SpongeBob back catalog, except for “Mid-Life Crustacean.” Fans wanted to know why.
Dark Fan Theories • Is SpongeBob a Marxist? A drug addict? A figure of lust? Among the show’s creative-thinking viewers, speculation runs amok.
Meet the Voices Behind the Characters • Who are the actors who’ve been putting their hearts and sounds into the series since 1999?
Cameo Appearances • Since the earliest episodes, SpongeBob producers have cast many famous vocal cords to bring some small characters to life. Here are 10.
3 AHOY, WORLD • More than a cartoon character, SpongeBob is an entertainment and sociological phenom around the globe—in pop culture and on the internet, the Broadway stage, and the silver screen.
SpongeBob Memes Bobbing on the Internet’s Sea • There are more than 22,000 SpongeBob images that populate social media as memes. Which are some of the net’s favorites?
The Pride of Bikini Bottom • Just a few years after SpongeBob debuted, viewers began speculating about his sexuality. Why does it matter?
Bikini Bottomers Ride the Retail Wave • SpongeBob wows not just on the small screen and under the sea, but on the store shelf. Pineapple Olipop, anyone?
Dazzling Broadway • The unlikely pairing of an avant-garde stage director and Nickelodeon’s favorite talking sponge resulted in a musical that was as goofy, energetic, and creative as the original TV show.
SpongeBob at the Movies • When Bikini Bottom moved to the big screen, stars like David Hasselhoff, Antonio Banderas, and Mark Hamill jumped aboard for the silliness.
Q&A: The Voice of Evil • Mark Hamill, Star Wars’ idealistic Luke Skywalker, these days gravitates toward playing villains, like the Flying Dutchman in The SpongeBob Movie: Search
Q&A: The Fangirl • Rapper Ice Spice, who grew up watching SpongeBob, recorded a catchy track for Search for SquarePants.
TIME SpongeBob SquarePants
Credits
High-Fashion Muse • From the runway to the red carpet, SpongeBob-loving designers have dressed their models in Bikini Bottom-wear.